Press release: citizen groups respond to the NAFTA side agreements

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

nm Tues
212 Tompkins strentgust 17, at 10:00am at American Legion Hall,
Coalition ae tn Cortland the Tompkins/Cortland Labor
wah ’ cooperation with other labor, environmental,

Clinto ini :
agreements" to the gone at "labor and environmental side
reached and Rone, ican Free Trade Agreement have been

The Clinton negotiations have accompli j

- plished nothing. What
San the same old, unacceptable "Bush NAFTA". Even by

linton’s Own measuring stick these side agreements
came up a miserable failure. Issues which the Clinton team
Roa itself to addressing in October 1992 were never even

rought to the negotiating table. These include: protecting the

family farmer, ensuring the safety of imported foods, ensuring
the safety CL U. SE highways, generating funding for the
environmental costs of NAFTA and opening up the trade process to
"citizen participation."

As for the issues which were supposedly dealt with, labor
and the environment, the side agreements are meaningless. In the
new agreements two commissions are to be set up on labor and
environmental standards. According to the President these
commissions will have the power to resolve any concerns Americans
may have about losing jobs to Mexico because of the cheaper
labor, fewer labor rights and poor environmental protections. We

strongly disagree.
First, these commissions may only investigate violations of
law already existing within each country. This will do nothing to
bring Mexico up to U.S. environmental standards.

Second, even if violations are discovered a 2/3 vote of the

commission is needed before a review can be initiated.
Third, there are no timelines outlined for these reviews.

Fourth, these commissions have no enforcement powers to

force violating countries to change their ways.

We continue see the NAFTA as a very bad deal for URS,
Mexican and Canadian workers and communities. The side
agreements announced late last week will only hasten plant
closings such as the one experienced in Cortland last year when
Smith Corona moved to Mexico. NAFTA will drag wages and living
standards in this country further and further towards those of
Mexico and only a very few will benefit.

Some of our Congressional representatives have postponed
announcing their positions on NAFTA until after the side
agreements were completed. We now call upon Representatives
Boehlert and McHugh to come out in opposition to this legislation
and we call upon Representatives Walsh and Hinchey to reaffirm in
the clearest terms possible that they stand in opposition to

NAFTA.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathy Russell, Tompkins/Cortland
Labor Coalition, 756-6948 or Coert Bonthius, Tompkins/Cortland

Labor Coalition, 277-5670.